Bad Romance
by SessInSunglasses
Summary: Sequel to Question Existing. Read that first! Picks up where that story left off. Kagome comes back from the Feudal Era, and this time, she's getting more than she expected. Literally. Kagx? Rated M in case of later chapters ;
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everybody! No, it's not Dr. Nick. It's me!! Heehee. Long time no see. I'm bored, and you guys? Lol. Anyway, I got to reading some of my old shit and remembered that my good buddy, Jen (Kitsune's Lover) needed a story in her honour! So, here unfolds _Bad Romance_, the sequel to _Question Existing_. (If you haven't read that, you should probably do so before reading this. It'll just make more sense.) **This fic is named, of course, after the new Lady Gaga song, cuz it's awesome, just like Jen:D**

So, Jen, in your honour, I present the first chapter of:

**_Bad Romance_**

_Chapter One_

_I'm in big trouble.  
_

That was Kagome's first thought when Inuyasha had pointed out the positive pregnancy test in the sink last week. She was right.

Inuyasha had dropped his arms from her sides, stepped back, and asked, "How can that be, Kagome?" The dead calm of his voice was more frightening than anything he might have shouted at her. At least she knew how to deal with his outrage. Calm, on the other hand, was rare. And freaky.

She couldn't believe it, but her mind readily supplied a lie that slipped from her mouth before her conscience could approve it, and he'd held his tongue since then, although he would still look at her every now and then with suspicion.

At the time, it had seemed like a great idea. She had simply replied, more calmly than she'd thought was possible, "It's an old test, Inuyasha. It's obviously faulty. I only took it for kicks!"

She'd crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped for the best, and he'd snorted, crossed his arms, and dropped the subject, just as she'd hoped. But then he'd wanted to drag her back to the Feudal Era, but she wasn't having any of that. She hadn't any clothes on! The towel she was wrapped in was her excuse as she told him, "I'm not ready to come back, Inuyasha. I appreciate your apology, though." And she'd smiled at him.

The reminder did the trick, and he'd forgotten about the faulty pregnancy test in the sink, and reluctantly left a while later, since she wasn't doing anything interesting. He'd asked to see the Jewel shard she'd found, or rather, stolen, and he'd actually complimented her on it. She'd been appalled, but had hidden it well.

After he'd gone, she'd dressed and lay on her bed for a while, thinking at an alarming speed. That test had been old, but what if it really was right?

_It couldn't be_.

Just to be sure, she'd gotten up and ran down to the supermarket, her blush intense as she tried to look nonchalant about buying two fresh pregnancy tests. Dashing back home, she took one, waited for the results, and sighed in relief when it was negative.

_See?_ She thought. _And you were worried! That old one **was** a dud!_

Satisfied, she'd buried the used test in the bottom of the trash, wrapped in toilet paper and taped closed, so her mother would _never _find it, hidden the other, and walked out of the bathroom, pleased with herself for avoiding disaster.

Now, though, two weeks later, she wasn't so sure. And he was looking at her again! _Ugh!  
_

Inuyasha quickly averted his gaze as Kagome stood up, huffed, and stomped away from the hut angrily.

Miroku lifted a brow."What on earth was that about?"

Sango giggled. "Inuyasha's been staring at her all day. Give it up, what's the problem?" She directed her question at the hanyou.

He shrugged, lazily. "Ask her. She's the moody one." His frown didn't disappear.

"I'm asking you."

He sighed, loudly. "She smells funny, okay?"

Miroku frowned now, echoing Sango's expression. "Are you saying she needs a bath? That's rude, Inuyasha. Like you smell any better."

Shippo waved a hand in front of his nose. "No kidding."

Inuyasha growled at the kitsune and raised a clawed hand as if to smack him, but Shippo just looked at him, unfazed.

Sango said, "Violence won't make anyone smell better. You usually don't complain about Kagome's smell. Everyone else's, yes, but never hers."

Inuyasha glared at her. "I complained in the beginning-"

"-Which is beside the point-" Miroku interrupted.

"-Whatever. I didn't say she smelled bad. I said _different_. There's a difference."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

Inuyasha turned, fist balled. "That's enough from the peanut gallery, Shippo!"

Shippo shrugged, unconcerned.

"Actually, you said she smelled _funny_, not different." Sango pointed out.

Inuyasha jumped up, throwing his hands in the air. "What difference does it make?!"

"Well, which is it? Funny, or different?" Miroku smiled.

All three looked at the hanyou expectantly.

"Screw you guys. Forget I said anything!" He stomped off, his red sleeves flapping as Inuyasha took off into the canopy above.

Shippo shook his head and tickled Kirara's ears. "What a tard."

Sango smiled to herself. _That_ was an understatement.

Miroku went back to playing with the holy beads on his right hand. Conversationally, he asked, "Did you two think that was weird?"

Sango and Shippo looked at each other, then back at the monk.

"Absolutely."

"Heck, yes."

Miroku nodded. "Then I'm not crazy."

Sango and Shippo exchanged another doubtful look.

* * *

Kagome stomped to the well, jumped in, climbed out on her side, stomped to the house, up the stairs, and, ignoring Souta's questioning look, slammed and locked the bathroom door.

She took the last test out of the bottom of the basket full of her toiletries on the back of the toilet where she'd hidden it, and sighed tremulously. She closed her eyes, and immediately a pair of gold eyes, separated by a fine nose and a navy crescent moon flashed through her memory, burned there forever.

_Sesshoumaru..._

Sighing again, Kagome felt angry tears slide down her face. Her period was a week and a half late.

Anxiously she took the test and waited. She began to inspect her fingernails as she waited, but the memory assailed her anyway, making her sigh despite the direness of the situation.

Sometimes, a memory was even more pleasant than the actual encounter.

Kagome's eyes flashed open. What was she going to tell everyone? What was she going to tell her _mother_!??

_It's okay, get a hold of yourself!  
_

She placed her hand to her heart, trying to stop hyperventilating, when, terribly, someone knocked on the door!

"Kagome?" It was Souta. "Are you okay in there?"

Kagome nearly choked, as she glanced at the test and saw the result. "I'm fine," she squawked, coughed, then repeated, "I'm fine, Souta. Go away!"

Then she sat down on the floor, and fainted.

* * *

Well, end chapter One! Are you psyched to read more!? Review me, and you shall be rewarded!!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

Deds:

**Nimeway** - I've missed you, too! So good to hear from you again! It is an awesome song, isn't it? Lol I got _The Fame Monster _CD and now my favourite song is _Alejandro_, and _Telephone_, and _Teeth_, haha! Awesome stuff.

**Kitsune's Lover **- OMG, Congrats!!!!!!!!! Lol that's soooo exciting! I'm so happy, and I love you, too! There will be lots of drama, too! And yes, you could say you are in the same boat. Now don't fall out!!!! LOL!

_**Bad Romance **_

_Chapter Two_

Inuyasha sat in the trees, and watched the leaves ripple in the summer breeze. A red maple on the other side of the village caught his eye, its fiery leaves fluttering gently, standing out among all others around it, one of a kind. Just like Kagome.

He felt his earlier frown return. _Kagome_.

"Inuyasha?"

He glanced down. Miroku was there, shading his eyes from the sun as he peered up into the tree, looking for the red fabric that would give Inuyasha's position away.

"What?"

Miroku gave up trying to locate the hanyou and decided to sit down. He rammed his staff into the earth deeply enough that it stood on its own, and he took up the lotus position.

"What's _really_ bothering you?"

The question made Inuyasha blink. He was reluctant to share what was really on his mind. It was impossible. It had to be. And besides, she'd denied it.

He sighed. _If she was lying_... he didn't know how he would feel about that. He only detected the change in her scent a few days ago, but did that really mean anything? Her scent always changed at her moon time. Though, now that he was thinking about it...

"Well?"

"It can't be," he whispered, and slumped back against the tree. _But why would she lie to him about something like this?!_

It occurred to him that she was ashamed of it. And then it occurred to him that _he'd_ had nothing to do with it, and the thought made him see red.

Miroku was about to get up and kick the tree when Inuyasha landed with a thump next to him on the grass, his clawed fingers churning the green blades and black soil to shambles. The look in his eyes was warning enough for the monk.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku impulsively reached for a sutra inside his robe.

"_She_ _lied_!!" Inuyasha roared, and flew past him, his eyes flashing red and gold as he lost his temper.

Miroku frowned. "She did?"

Trees inside the forest began to fall, and Miroku was grateful Inuyasha was taking out his ire on nature and not the villagers, though he was sure nature didn't appreciate it at all.

As he made his way back to the Shrine, Sango found him and asked, "What's his problem?"

Miroku shrugged. "I have no idea. He screeched, 'She lied!', then took off on a tree-killing spree."

Sango blinked. "Who lied? About what?"

Miroku shrugged again and Shippo asked, "Where's Kagome?"

"Last I saw of her was this morning when she stomped off," Sango replied, and, looking at Miroku again, suggested, "She probably went home for a while. Maybe we should go wait for her to come back."

"Maybe she knows what this is all about," Shippo said as they followed the worn path to the well.

"If she does, then he's probably mad at her. I think it best that we be nearby when she comes back, if only to protect those two from each other." Miroku responded, leading the way.

* * *

When Kagome awoke, she looked at the test again, cried a little, then hid it in her pocket. Unlocking the bathroom door, she wiped her face and went outside, ignoring Souta and Grandpa in the kitchen as she passed. They exchanged a look, but shrugged and went back to playing cards.

She trudged down the Shrine stairs, and when she got to the street, she chucked the test into the first garbage can she found. Staring at the ground, she walked around until it was dark, and then, feeling tears sting her eyes again, turned to go back home.

No wonder Inuyasha had been looking at her funny. She shook her head. No wonder she was so moody... although she didn't think that happened until later, but...

She was passing a bookstore, and it was fifteen minutes till closing time, so she ducked inside and bought herself _What To Expect When You're Expecting._

As soon as she left the store she felt the hot tears coming again, and walked briskly home, keeping her eyes to the pavement.

How was she going to tell people? And Sesshoumaru... He did have a right to know, she supposed. She just _really_ didn't want to be the one to tell him.

And Inuyasha. He'd go ballistic if he knew, and, it seemed, he was already too suspicious. He'd blow his top when he found out who the father was.

_Unless_... Maybe she wouldn't tell him. She could play the rape card, but... She just wasn't distraught enough, and besides, her lack of worry in the past two weeks, since she'd thought she was off the hook, negated anyone believing she was suffering from shame.

Reluctantly, she touched her stomach, and her heart flooded with warmth. Despite this desperate situation, the thought of abortion never occurred to her. She already loved the being growing inside her too much to even consider it.

_Maybe_... an idea came to her as she ascended the stairs to the Shrine, the streetlight casting a soft glow on the cement, fireflies blinking here and there, giant moths drawn to the bright light, swooping and wheeling in the cooling night air.

She had a cousin in America. If she took an extended vacation she could have Sesshoumaru's baby abroad and have an excuse to put off telling anyone about her predicament for a while longer.

But that was the coward's way out.

She sighed. There was no recourse except to tell everyone and get it out of the way as soon as possible.

She reached the top of the stairs, the glow from the windows of the house a welcome sight. The car was back; her mother was home.

Suddenly, more than ever, Kagome needed her mother. Gathering her courage, she went into the house, steeling herself to tell her family the glad news.

* * *

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara watched Inuyasha pace. They sat in a line by the well, the hanyou wearing a rut into the ground with his constant striding. He mumbled and grumbled, talking to himself and completely ignoring the others, his fists balling up and gesturing as he quietly communicated his anger.

Shippo observed, "Do you think if we cut his hands off, he'd be a mute?"

Inuyasha was apparently paying some attention as he flashed a red eye in Shippo's direction as he turned, indicating he'd heard the kitsune's remark.

"Just kidding!"

"Humph."

Miroku tried to reason with the hanyou. "Inuyasha, please. If what you suspect is true, pacing and talking to yourself won't make it better."

Sango turned to look at Miroku indignantly. "Suspect _what_ is true?!"

Miroku's cheeks flushed and he coughed, "Nothing, Sango. I know nothing."

She didn't look convinced. "Tell me. What are you keeping from me!?"

Shippo also looked at the monk expectantly, an un-amused twinkle in his teal eyes. He didn't appreciate being left out of the loop, either.

Miroku mentally kicked himself. He shouldn't have spoken to Inuyasha on his way back from fetching lunch in the village! He frowned. It was all Inuyasha's fault for telling him, _finally_!

He sighed. _May as well get it over with._

"Inuyasha thinks..."

Sango raised her brows. The kit crossed his arms.

"He thinks..."

Even Inuyasha raised a brow as he paced.

"Ugh. You tell them, Inuyasha."

Finally, Inuyasha stopped pacing. He uncrossed his arms.

"I think Kagome is pregnant."

* * *

Gah!!!!!!!!!!! Review, my pretties!!!


	3. Chapter 3

Deds:

**Nimeway** - Shush, child! lol I'm kidding, bitch all you want! It's a party!!!! I mean, story!!

**Jenn** - Yup, edge of ur seat sounds just about perfect! MUAHAHAHAHA! That's okay. I'm not anal about when reviews come in, lol, just getting something is reward enough for me! Hope you had fun at the retreat. LOL was it like, Couple's Retreat? Have you seen that?!?!

**DemonDog113** - OOhhhhhhhhhh, may not be SessxKag, my friend! You'll just have to pull ur hair a bit on that one! Reactions are fun, though. Lol I can never keep people in character!

_**Bad Romance**_

_Chapter Three_

Kagome was never so glad to have something off her chest as she was now. Her mother stroked her hair lovingly as she sat, her head in her mother's lap, enjoying her company.

Surprisingly, her mother had taken the news well. She hadn't screamed, or made a scene, or even raised her voice. She didn't look pleased at first, but her anger soon melted away in happiness for her daughter. Souta had been shocked, but excited. Grandpa had grounded her for the rest of her life, and had avoided her for a while, he was so mad, but she had gone to him and pleaded for his forgiveness, and he couldn't stand his granddaughter's distraught tears, and so had forgiven her.

Kagome's mother dragged her fingernails over her daughter's scalp, her silence just as reassuring as any of her words might have been. Kagome closed her eyes and gave herself up to the soothing sensation, letting her mother ease her tensions away.

_Well_, she thought, _Three down. Six to go._

She sighed. "Mom?"

Her mother didn't take her eyes away from the television. "Yes, dear?"

"How how will I tell him?"

Her mother already knew the whole story, from front to back, and, as embarrassing as that had been, Kagome felt all the better for holding nothing back. The next steps, though, where she would tell her friends the truth, was where she was on her own. And telling Inuyasha... that was a daunting thought. Telling Sesshoumaru... _that_ was absolutely terrifying.

When her mother had asked Kagome if Sesshoumaru loved her, Kagome had been certain he did not. He was a demon. He didn't love anyone. _Except maybe himself_, she thought bitterly, but truthfully, she was sure he didn't. How could he? She was just a lowly human, to whom he'd lost control, once. She was nothing to him.

Even as she thought that, though, memories of Rin kept popping into her mind's eye. Could she be wrong? Dare she think he might... ?  
She just didn't know.

"What about... Inuyasha? He'll be crushed."

Mrs. Higurashi pulled her daughter's ear gently. "If he truly loves you, dear... a man will do some pretty amazing things."

Kagome sighed. That was so cryptic! She didn't know how she'd get through this, but she would. Come hell or high water, she would tell everyone who needed to know.

Suddenly she gasped. "What will I tell my friends at school?"

Her mother smiled. "Why tell them anything? They barely see you anyway. If you can avoid them until he's born, we can tell them he's a cousin we're taking in."

Kagome smiled. That was a good idea. Though... she wasn't sure she should raise her baby here. He had a right to know his father. That is... _if_ his father wanted anything to do with him. If not, she didn't really have any choice in the matter. He would have to grow up in modern times.

_God, I hope he doesn't have Inuyasha's ears_, she thought, then mentally kicked herself. No matter what her baby looked like, she would love him all the same.

Souta sat down next to his sister, sipping a glass of milk. "So it's a _he_ already, is it?"

Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi smiled.

"Maybe, Souta. We won't know till the ultrasound can tell us."

Kagome sighed. _Ugh_. Pregnancy meant regular visits to the doctor. Just the place she _didn't_ want to go! She hoped nothing really obvious would show up in her half-breed baby that might make her doctor suspicious. She supposed she could negate anything he might suspect by acting angry and indignant, insulted even, if he tried to tell her something was wrong with her baby.

_I hope that works if anything comes up, _she thought.

"Oh. I hope it's a girl."

Kagome smiled. "Why?"

Souta shrugged. "So maybe she'll be just like you."

Kagome's lip slid out, and she smiled wide as a tear leaked from her eye, and she tugged her little brother into a crushing hug. "That's so sweet, Souta!"

He grinned and bore her hug, even when he started to turn blue.

Mrs. Higurashi stood up then, and rubbed her hands together. "Well, kids. It's time for bed. Souta, I'll be up to tuck you in in a minute. I'm going to talk to your sister first."

Once mother and daughter were in Kagome's room, and Kagome was snugly tucked in, her mother brushed her bangs back from her face.

"My baby's having a baby," she murmured, and a tear ran down her cheek.

Kagome's own emotions ran rampant as she sat up and hugged her mother tightly. She sniffed. "I'm sorry, Mom, I never meant for this to happen."

Mrs. Higurashi held her daughter at arm's length. "I'll admit, Kagome, eighteen _is _a bit young to be having a baby, but it could be worse. Just remember, your mother loves you, and we all support you here, no matter what. If things don't go well in the past, then you don't have to stay there. You can always come home, sweetheart. Keep that in mind."

They hugged again, and Kagome whispered. "Thanks Mom. You really are the best."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and kissed Kagome's forehead, before turning off the light and closing the door.

Kagome rolled over, happier than she'd been all day. Somehow, her mother's words gave her the courage to face whatever may come when she crossed over again.

* * *

Sango looked at the stars.

"Okay, guys, I don't think she's coming back tonight. Let's go back to Kaede's. I'm starving."

Miroku nodded. "Me, too." He got up, leading the way as Sango carried a snoring Shippo, Kirara following quietly behind.

Inuyasha watched them leave, but didn't follow. Instead, he leaned on the well, staring into the darkness, wishing he had the courage, and the right, to go after her.

To wish that the child she carried was his.

* * *

Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Domain, followed a rumour on the wind. Rin and Jaken followed, AhUn stopping now and then to graze briefly as they travelled.

Sesshoumaru ignored the looks the others occasionally threw him. His eyes, dark and brooding, watched dispassionately the world around him. His temper was short of late, and he didn't stay with his party at night any longer. He was wont to wander off, his retainers and ward knew, but he always came back. Lately, he'd been gone for days at a time, following the elusive rumour that was like smoke on the wind; every time he thought he might learn something new, it turned out that whoever had heard it abruptly forgot when questioned, and not all escaped with their lives.

As far as he knew, a miko was with child, but whose and the circumstances under which this had occurred were sketchy. Nor was it known which miko had the misfortune of ruining her good name and betraying her holy vows by laying with a man.

To the best of his knowledge, mikos were to be chaste creatures, but he only knew two mikos offhand, and one wasn't actually alive, which left the other one, and though he would not admit it to anyone, there was a deep fear in his heart that she was the miko in question he kept hearing whispers about. He knew for a fact that she was no longer chaste, and he was the reason. He hoped fervently that it was some other unfortunate miko who'd gotten herself in trouble, but the thought that it might be his miko was still there.

He blinked. _His _miko? No. That had not been what he meant. At all.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He slid his eyes down to settle on the green toad demon that served him, and replied after a time, "Yes, Jaken?"

Jaken fiddled with his staff, a habit he'd taken to doing when he was nervous, and asked in a small voice, "Where are we going, Milord? We left the Western border two days ago. Are we seeking your younger half-brother, perhaps?"

Sesshoumaru wondered what had prompted Jaken to ask. Normally he just followed, and if he did ask, a foot to the face was usually Sesshoumaru's answer to his impudence.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the full moon that hung hugely close in the midnight sky, and responded, "Put Rin to bed, Jaken."

Jaken blinked, but did his master's bidding, even though his curiosity went un-assuaged.

Sesshoumaru stood, and then took to the air. Deep down he'd been following her scent in this direction, Musashi seemingly bathed in it, and he briefly remembered his anger at Kagome's actions. Of course, all that had melted away after they'd forgiven each other, but the thought of a possible heir to his domain took precedence over his other thoughts. A reunion, too, with Kagome, would not be an unwelcome encounter, either.

He was surprised at himself. He hadn't known that an heir would make him anxious. Or that it would make him eager to see Kagome again.

_Hmmm_, he thought. _I wonder if Inuyasha knows anything about it?_

Sesshoumaru snorted. He more than likely suspected, by this time. He was somewhat surprised that he hadn't yet come to pick a fight over the whole situation, but, Sesshoumaru considered, perhaps Kagome had not revealed her child's parentage. That is, if she was indeed pregnant at all.

Somehow, he was determined to find out.

* * *

End chapter three! Wooo! Please review!!


	4. Chapter 4

Deds:

**Nimeway** - Hahha you kill me. Purify her womb, ahaha! That is funny, and I never even thought of it! Oh, and yes... I do enjoy torturing you ;)3

**DemonDog113** - Yes. It is!

**_Bad Romance_**

_Chapter Four_

Kagome peeked over the lip of the well, and was relieved to see no one waiting for her, for once. She sighed.

It was very early, the sky just turning pink with morning sun, and there was a chill in the air despite it being summer. She pulled her jacket zipper up a tad and padded silently down the path to the Shrine. She passed a deep rut in the ground, but needed no explanation. Inuyasha's bare footprints were clearly visible in the soft mud.

The Shrine was deserted at this hour, and she decided to stop and make an offering before returning to Kaede's hut. She needed all the help she could get.

Making her way down the stairs ten minutes later, she got to the hut and peeked inside. Everyone was asleep, minus Inuyasha of course, but Kirara meowed quietly in greeting.

Instead of waking the others just yet, she went in search of her hanyou friend, and found him in a tree behind the hut, his feet dangling in sleep.  
Too nervous to wake him, she sat down quietly and took out her algebra textbook. She was a few months away from graduating high school - that is, if she passed finals - and she figured any study she could cram in certainly wouldn't hurt, even if she had to take them a bit later than was customary. She certainly couldn't go to school pregnant.

An hour later the sun was high and warm, and she pulled her hair behind her ears as she worked, when a clawed hand covered hers, and she looked into Inuyasha's eyes, so close she could see her reflection mirrored back at her.

Saying nothing, he pulled her up into a crushing hug that she returned heartily, clinging to him in what she knew was desperation, for what she had to tell him would not be received well.

"You were gone so long." He whispered, and she nodded into his neck.

"I'm sorry."

He held her away from him then, so he could see her face, and knew that she wasn't just apologising for her absence. The miserable look in her eyes was killing him.

"You're pregnant." It wasn't a question.

She sniffed. "Yes."

He took a deep breath. "We suspected as much."

He crossed his arms, since there really wasn't anything else he could do with them at this point. "Who's the father?"

Kagome looked at her feet. God, this was so hard. "Sesshoumaru." She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see his response, but nothing happened. She looked up.

His face was red, and his fists balled, but he was quiet. And breathing deeply, controlling the anger. Through gritted teeth he replied, "You're sure?"

She nodded, sadly. "I'm sure. I'm so sorry, Inuyasha." Tears leaked from her eyes, but despite his anger, it hurt him more to see her tears, and once again he pulled her close.

"I'm sorry too, Kagome. Whether my brother acknowledges your child or not, I can promise you, his life won't be easy. I would know. But it _will_ be better than mine."

Kagome laughed, but it sounded more like a sob. "I know. And I hate myself for putting you, and everyone else, in this position, Inuyasha, but I'm committed to helping you find the Jewel, no matter what. I'll always be here with you."

Above her head, he smiled. He was angry that she'd lain with his brother, sure, but she'd apologised, and really, he couldn't hate her baby. After all, he was a part of _her_. It irked him deeply that it wasn't his baby, but since the chances that Sesshoumaru would make her his mate were very slim, demon society being what it was, he felt that, if she were agreeable, she and him could make something work. He was even willing to help her raise his brother's son, if that was what she wanted.

He blinked. _Was he so in love with her that he would put aside his own feelings, for her well-being?_ He was a fool. But he didn't care.

"Thank you, Kagome," he responded, squeezing her tighter. "As long as you want me, I'll be by your side."

She began to really cry then, in happiness, and he tipped up her chin and they shared their first real kiss, and it was everything she'd hoped it would be, and more.

Awhile later, as they made their way back to Kaede's, holding hands, Inuyasha asked, "Does Sesshoumaru know?"

Kagome shook her head. "I haven't seen him since last month. And you are the first to officially know back here."

He grinned. "How did your family take it?"

She smiled back. "Okay. Grandpa was really mad for a while, but he came around. Mom is excited, and Souta is too. I'm just scared, to tell the truth."

"Why?" He tilted an ear.

She shrugged, and then pulled a thick book from her bag, handing it to him. "You would be too, if you had to read all this."

He raised a brow at her, and she winked.

"Ha ha." He turned it over, hefting its' weight. "You have to know all this? Is there a test at the end?"

She sighed. "A painful one."

He looked at her sympathetically. "Well, I'm sure you'll do great, as always."

She pulled on a lock of his hair. "Thanks. For everything."

He gazed down at her. Her fear was showing in her eyes. "You're welcome."

At that moment Sango spotted them, and came running over. "Kagome! You're back!"

Kagome ran to meet her and hugged her tight. "Sango!"

The two girls rocked back and forth, and Miroku and Shippo followed the commotion, greeting Kagome as well, to many hugs from their friend.

Miroku, direct as always, asked, "So is it true, Kagome?"

Sango went to elbow him for his rudeness, but Kagome put a hand to her arm, stopping her. "It's alright, Sango. Yes, Miroku, it's true. I'm going to have a baby, and Sesshoumaru is the father."

Silence fell. Many looks were interchanged, and finally Miroku replied, "Really? Well, congratulations." Aside, to Kagome, he said, "Inuyasha knew before I asked, right?"

She nodded.

"Wow, I had no idea he'd be okay with this. I thought he'd-"

"So did I," she interrupted him, "But, let's not look a gift-horse in the mouth, eh?"

He grinned. "Truer words were never spoken, my dear."

Sango, having overheard, said, "Yes, Kagome, congratulations." She winked at Miroku. "So are you and Inuyasha going to raise him?"

Inuyasha fielded that one. "If that's what Kagome wants." He smiled at her, and she squeezed his hand, smiling back.

Sango nodded, impressed. "That's a very nice gesture, Inuyasha. We're proud of you." The hanyou just turned red, looking away.

"Of course, I will have to tell Sesshoumaru," Kagome remarked. "It _is_ his right to know."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Yes. I wonder how he will take the news?"

Kagome shrugged. "I'm really not that anxious to find out."

Inuyasha told her, "I'll protect you from him, Kagome."

"Thank you. I hope it won't come to that, though. I just don't know." She looked around. "Has anyone heard of his last whereabouts? Perhaps it's smarter to get it over with quickly."

Everyone shrugged. No one had thought it necessary to keep an ear out for the Western Lord's whereabouts. Until now, that is.

"Oh well. Forget it. We can look for shards, and if we come across him, I'll worry about it then."

Inuyasha grinned, and hefted Kagome's bag and bow over his shoulders. "Come on guys, let's go tell Kaede the news. The faster she knows, the faster we can leave!"

* * *

When Sesshoumaru arrived at Edo, he found no sign of his brother, Kagome, or any of their friends. He growled.

He supposed he could torture a villager into telling him what he knew, but he doubted the villagers would be privy to such private information. But, perhaps the old miko of the village would know something. They usually did.

He waited until night fell before visiting the miko. She returned to her hut to make herself dinner, and as he approached the doorway, he could smell his brother's, and his friends', scents all over. This seemed to be the right place.

Knocking gently on the doorframe, Kaede took a moment to answer, and he thought he knew why.

"Enter, demon."

Sure enough, as he pulled back the flap to let himself in, she was armed, her bow and arrow aimed straight at his chest. He simply looked at her, and replied, "Those are not necessary. But you may keep them, if you wish."

Kaede judged him a moment longer before lowering her weapon and gesturing for him to sit.

He did so, fluidly, and the old woman noted, with distaste, that he had not disarmed himself either, his swords clacking quietly against the bare wood floor as he settled himself. She supposed he was right to be cautious, as was she.

Silently, she handed him a cup of tea, and he accepted it, placing it gently on his knee, sipping at it infrequently. After a few moments, she finally spoke.

"This is not a social visit, I gather."

He watched her. "No."

She nodded, sipping her own tea. "It is not often a demon lord visits my humble abode. Ye are searching for answers not found elsewhere, yes?"

"Yes."

Her good eye narrowed. "A man of few words, I see. Well, no matter. I regret to inform ye that I cannot give ye the answers ye seek."

It irked him a little that she refused to address him with an honorific, even though she seemed to understand he was someone with a higher stature in life than she, but he decided to ignore it.

"And why is that?"

Kaede recognised the deadly inflection in his tone, a tone she'd often heard from his younger half-brother, but also decided to ignore it.

"It is not my place. But if your curiosity is so great, I can tell ye in which direction to go, and save your nose the trouble."

He sipped his tea, placated that she wouldn't give him _nothing_ to go on... not that he needed it, of course, but his pride demanded he get something for his trouble. "Thank you."

Kaede smiled at him, just a little. His Lordship certainly liked to play his cards close to his chest. A pity. She feared he would not see much of his child if he played with Kagome that way. Only complete honesty could be tolerated from the father of one's child.

She gave him the directions and, finishing his tea, he left with a haste that did not surprise Kaede at all.

* * *

"Gotcha!"

Kagome aimed her arrow at the eagle demon and loosed it, watching in triumph as her arrow hit the mark, dissolving the demon and releasing the Jewel shard to fall, delicately, into her outstretched palm.

She grinned, pleased with herself.

The past week had been wonderful. It was as if nothing had changed; only now she and Inuyasha got along much better than they did before, which was a definite plus. By day they hunted shards, she riding his back, helping the others work as a team to locate the sought-after fragments, and every night she read a little bit more of her pregnancy book, while listening to the others talk quietly over their supper. She couldn't remember ever having had such a good time hunting shards before now.

That night, after the fire had been banked, and everyone had gone to sleep, she lay awake, taking comfort in the weight of Inuyasha's arm draped over her waist, the soft snores of the boys, and the gentle puffing of Sango. She felt very grateful for her friends. She had feared that they would take her news badly, especially Inuyasha, and that had been what had kept her away for so long. Now that she was back, though, she was glad she had returned. She couldn't have been happier with Inuyasha's promise.

Absently she rubbed her stomach, which was feeling just a tad harder now, and the bulge slight, but she had read halfway through her book already, and had a feeling that this pregnancy was going to progress a bit differently than expected. It was happening faster, certainly, but in all their time trekking across Japan and back, she had heard of cases like hers on several occasions, and that they were, more often than not, much shorter than normal human pregnancies. How much shorter, she wasn't sure, but she supposed she would find out, one way or another.

Too, she still dreaded running into Sesshoumaru. She had a feeling he would be very angry when he found out, or he would refuse to admit that her baby was his, but she couldn't let his reactions upset her. She already had plans, and would go through with them with his co-operation or without. And on top of all that, she wasn't sure what she felt for him now, if anything. Would she still feel the passion he had last incited in her? The excitement? Would she wind up betraying Inuyasha with her feelings for his brother, should they be rekindled? She would have to see him to find out.

Kagome sighed. She was tired of thinking.

Rolling over, she snuggled closer to Inuyasha, and drifted off, slowly, her conscience heavy.

* * *

Two days afterward, as Inuyasha led the way toward another village, Kagome stopped in her tracks, Miroku copying her. Both stared at the other, and when the others noticed, they stopped and came back.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Inuyasha demanded, looking from one face to the other.

"I feel-"

"-A demonic presence. A strong one," Kagome finished, her hands fluttering. _Ugh, its **him**!_

"Anyone we know?" Sango asked.

Miroku frowned. "Yes."

Inuyasha fingered his sword. "Sesshoumaru."

Kagome turned to him. "_Please_ don't make a scene, Inuyasha! For me?"

He straightened, and petted her cheek. "I'll give him a chance to say his piece, Kagome. After that... we'll see."

She sighed. That was all she'd get out of him and knew it.

It niggled the back of his mind the way Kagome never wanted him to fight with Sesshoumaru, but Inuyasha had always thought that was because she didn't want him to get hurt. Now, it occurred to him that, perhaps, she didn't want _Sesshoumaru_ to get hurt, and that cut him deep, so he shook it off. He'd think about that if it happened - which hopefully, it wouldn't.

A strong breeze picked up, and, from the bend in the road behind them, the tall demon lord emerged, at a leisurely pace, his retainers following docilely behind.

Inwardly, Kagome sighed in relief. When Sesshoumaru brought Rin and Jaken, it usually meant he didn't want a fight. If she were lucky, they could discuss this calmly and rationally, like adults. Which gave her an idea.

Finally, at Sesshoumaru's approach, Kagome stepped forward, Inuyasha on her heels. "Good afternoon, Lord Sesshoumaru. Lady Rin. Master Jaken."

He nodded. Jaken looked appalled to be greeted in the first place, and Rin grinned, waving. Kagome smiled at her.

_The moment of truth_, Kagome thought, and his lordship paused close enough to tower over her, in effect shading her from the overhead sun, so when she looked up at him, she needn't shade her eyes to see him.

She wanted to kick herself. He hadn't even said anything and already he was being considerate of her.

Sesshoumaru eyed each member of his brother's band openly, noting their positions and those of their weapons. Inuyasha, surprisingly, was managing to keep himself together, the only indication of his feelings being the sword handle he squeezed every now and again. Other than that, they were all still.

Finally he looked down at Kagome, the little miko, and shocked them all. He smiled - a little.

"So formal, my Lady?"

Kagome turned beet red. She recalled this game they had played during their time together last month - God, it seemed so long ago. Recovering her composure, she raised a brow at him, like she would when scolding a child. He sure knew how to break the ice. Suddenly she wanted to kick _him_ instead.

"Only if you prefer it."

He shrugged. "At this point, it's not so important, is it?" He gave her a look that made it clear he knew what she looked like without her clothes on, and to her embarrassment, she turned even redder.

Everyone watched the by-play closely, most interested. Miroku was smiling at this verbal game of cat-and-mouse Sesshoumaru was playing, virtually flirting with Kagome, and he wondered how long it would be before Inuyasha exploded.

Sango, too, was watching Inuyasha, but was also having a hard time trying not to laugh out loud at Kagome's red face.

Shippo and Kirara looked at each other, then back again. He had no idea what was really going on, but it _was_ funny. Kirara simply watched, and listened.

Inuyasha, though he was hiding it well, was busy trying to control the rage that seemed destined to overwhelm him at any second, and unleash it on his brother, who was being oddly nice? Polite? He wasn't sure, but it sure _looked_ dirty.

Letting out a deep and loud sigh, Kagome held out her hands. "Swords, please."

Finally Sesshoumaru looked nonplussed. His brows came down, gently. "I beg your pardon?"

"Please hand me your swords. I refuse to speak, or hear your piece, until you've given them to me. Inuyasha, you too."

Inuyasha whipped his gaze to her, and complained, "But, Kagome-"

She shook her head. "No buts. This is a serious meeting, and I won't have any swords at either of your disposals. I mean it." She looked hard at Sesshoumaru, who had not moved.

When he continued to stand there Kagome glared, and finally he slowly began to pull his swords from his sash, handing her the Tensaiga and driving Tokijin into the ground a few meters away.

She raised her brow again at him as he returned to her side. "A safety measure, my Lady. I did not want Tokijin's demonic spirit to overcome you."

She blinked. "Oh. Thanks." Holding out her hand for Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha reluctantly gave it up, and she took both swords and handed them to Sango, who stuck them into her sash next to her own katana.

Sesshoumaru inwardly winced at the sight of his sword at someone else's hip, but forced himself to get over it. If that was what Kagome wished he would oblige her, for now.

Now that the weapons were cleared away, Kagome asked everyone in general, "Does anyone mind if I speak to Sesshoumaru privately?"

No one said anything, but Inuyasha was mumbling. Kagome smiled at him. "I'll only be a few moments." He quieted.

She turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "Follow me, please."

He did, watching her friends, before turning his attention to her backside. It was a pity he could not keep her, he mused, for she had the cutest behind...

He blinked, and forced his thoughts into a more business-like frame of mind. He would think about those _other_ things later.

Leading him into the forest, Kagome felt her nervousness peak. It was now or never.

Before she could keep going, he said softly, "Here is far enough."

She turned, and saw that she could no longer see her friends. She supposed he was correct.

Sighing, she leaned against a sapling and rubbed her arms, a protective gesture, he noted. _Was she finally afraid of him?_ He found that hard to believe.

"So..." she began, trailing off.

He stared.

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Quit looking at me like that! I'm sure you've heard by now, but I'll have you know that it takes two to tango, buster, and this isn't just my fault-"

His mouth was on hers before she could utter another sound. Her words died on her tongue, and her knees gave out. He held her, his breastplate cool against her chest, the points digging into her tender flesh, but she did not feel them. She was too overwhelmed by the heat of his one-armed embrace, the passion in his kisses, and the quiet longing in his short gasps for breath.

He had felt the need to kiss her earlier, but had now acted impulsively on it, and did not regret it. He knew there could really be no future for them, but the child she carried would follow him as heir to the West, of that he was sure. Unfortunately for Kagome, though, all he could offer her was secrecy; in effect, she could be his mistress, but no more. He doubted she would settle for that. If he were her, he would not settle for that. But there it was.

Finally he let go of her, but they did not move apart. Panting, she leaned her head against his armour and asked, "Why did you do that?"

"To see if I still reacted to you as I did before."

"I see. That answered a question for me, too." Backing away, she looked up at him. "This child is yours, Sesshoumaru. I never intended to keep that from you. But if you won't acknowledge him, I've got plans of my own, so you don't have to worry about it becoming a problem."

He looked down at her, letting her say her piece. She was a silly woman.

Taking her hand, he replied, "Unfortunately, my dear, I cannot offer you a place at my side, as would traditionally be done for the mother of my firstborn son. You are a human, and that is something not even I can bend the rules for, without risking all my titles and holdings. My peers believe Rin is a passing phase, which may be, but they will not allow what happened with my father to happen again." He stroked each of her fingers, individually, and with care. "However, I do acknowledge our child, and am prepared to make him the heir to my domain." He hesitated to offer the mistress option to her just yet.

She felt her mouth drop open. _He would do that for their son? If she had a son?_ "Thank you, Sesshoumaru, I appreciate that you'd do that for our son. But what if I have a girl?"

"Hmm." He hadn't thought of that. "She shall have my kingdom, if that be the case, as well. And, I will make a fine match for her when she is of age to marry."

Kagome frowned at that.

He raised a brow. "You disagree?"

She replied, "Yeah! I do. I'm from the future, Sesshoumaru. If you had not acknowledged this child as yours, I was going to raise him in my time. But now you've put a kink in all my plans!" She sunk to the ground, her eyes wet, and he rolled his eyes. She was so dramatic.

She was still talking. "If it's a girl I wanted her to choose her own husband, someone she loved, and now that you're being so agreeable, I'll have to raise her here, and..." She looked up at him. "I wonder, if, like me, this child will be able to cross time too?"

He could practically see the wheels turning in her head. He put to her another tidbit, then. "What if the child inherits your holy powers? Certainly, it will be born a half-demon, but it could inherit your powers, as well, my dear."

She stood up again, a grin on her face. "That's right! Oh, this might work, after all! Thank you, Sesshoumaru!" She wrapped her arms around him, impulsively, and he returned the embrace. He figured now was as good a time as ever to put out the mistress idea.

"Kagome..."

She backed up so she could see his face. "Yeah?"

He looked down at her, and didn't know how to bring it up. So he didn't. He sighed. "Whatever you need, you have but to ask. I will send you a messenger for your disposal."

She smiled. "Thanks. Feel free to visit anytime. If you like, we can decide later how we want to do this. You could have him for half a year, and I'll keep him the other-"

He put a finger to her lips. "It is best he stays with you, my dear, until he is weaned, at least. I will teach him how to defend himself-" He smiled. "-Or herself."

She grinned back. "And I can make sure he _or_ she gets a fine education!"

He squeezed her hand.

She sighed, happily. "Thank you for being so good about all this, Sesshoumaru. To tell you the truth, I thought you'd kill me when I told you."

He turned them, to walk back to the others, and released her hand before they came into sight.

"I assume you've told Inuyasha?" He asked.

She nodded. "Of course."

He replied, "And he was not upset?"

Kagome lifted her brows. "He wasn't impressed, but he has promised to stay with me. I can't ask anymore of him than that. I can only be grateful for what he is willing to give."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I see. That was very magnanimous of him."

She grinned back at him. "It is also very magnanimous of you, too."

He shrugged. "It is my child. What else could I have done?"

She stopped him, and looked at the ground. "You could have ignored us completely, Sesshoumaru, among other things. I'm grateful that you were as generous as you have been. Always."

He saw Inuyasha inching toward them from the corner of his eye.

"Well, my dear, I am content that this could be resolved agreeably. As the mother of the heir to the Western lands, you will be looked after. Despite the constraints of convention, I will do for you what I can."

She hugged him again, shortly, and then he turned to leave, picking up his sword from the ground as he went. Sango handed him Tensaiga as he passed her.

Inuyasha walked quickly to her side, and she waved at Sesshoumaru as he and his retainers left, and Rin waved back, until they were out of sight.

"Well?" Inuyasha asked, as everyone else began to drift over.

She turned to them, happy. "Everything is going to be just fine. We have come to an agreement, and Sesshoumaru was very generous. He will acknowledge the baby when it is born, and he's promised to make arrangements so that our child will inherit his estate."

Miroku gaped. "Wow."

Inuyasha nodded, frowning. "Yeah. I didn't think he had that kind of generosity in him. You'd never know it, from my angle." He stared after Sesshoumaru's back.

He was thinking of his childhood, Kagome supposed, and the half-brother who probably hadn't been there for him as often as he should have been.

Sango sighed, "Well, at least the meeting went well." She exchanged a look with Miroku, but neither commented further.

Later, when they were alone, Inuyasha asked, quietly, "So... is he coming back for you, or what?"

Kagome looked up from her book and replied, "What?"

Inuyasha answered, "Sesshoumaru. Are you going to stay with him?"

Kagome smiled knowingly. "Inuyasha, are you asking me if I love Sesshoumaru?"

Inuyasha frowned. He didn't like that word, when used in relation to his brother. "Maybe."

She got up, and went to sit next to him. "He kissed me."

He winced. "And?"

"I kissed him back."

Inuyasha wanted to gag. "So what happened then?"

Kagome sighed. "Despite what I may have felt for him, briefly, a month ago, Inuyasha, in some small way, I _do_ love Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha tried to get up. He could feel the tears coming, and he'd be damned if she saw them.

But she wouldn't let him go. "I'm not finished." She waited till he'd stopped struggling. "This child may be his, but even if I wanted to, I could not be his woman. You know and I know that would never work, and so does he. Besides, I promised you I'd stay by your side and help you recover the Jewel, because, Inuyasha, I love you, too. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

He nodded.

"Sesshoumaru is doing right by his child, and me, but no more. Oh, I'm sure he'll stop by to visit from time to time, so we may see him more frequently than we did before, but now, I think, we can depend not only on his help, but his discretion. It can't be common knowledge who the mother of his heir is, so in effect, I will remain anonymous to demon society. But we'll see how that pans out when the time comes. Either way, I'm staying with you, Inuyasha, not because I can, but because I want to. Be with you."

She smiled at him, and he pulled her into his lap, hugging her close. She started to cry, then, too.

After he'd released her, she wiped her tears away, then his. She laughed. "What a pity party this turned out to be!"

He laughed, too. "Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you stay with me? Forever?"

She smiled. "You bet."

He leaned over, and kissed her.

* * *

Sorry this has taken so long. I've got a lot written for this story, it's just a matter of keeping it all straight... and finishing it! lol I'm so confused and have to re-read it all to remember what I've done. Don't get old, people!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey all! Really, I thought I died too (ahem NIMEWAY) but it just turns out... i'm lazy! who knew? Anyway, for a while there i didn't think i could finish this story, since my microsoft office wasn't cooperating, which really puts me in a tight spot _vis a vis_ this story! But, I found a way around the glitch, woohoo! Took me long enough, eh? It's been a friggin year, Batman!

**Nimeway** - Hehe, well, dead or not, i'm a zombie now... nomnomnom! And FINALLY updating! Dance! And thanks, I like refined better than old, it's so much more... user-friendly, lol!

**Lunabellla** - Lol Thanks! Mee too! :P

_**Bad Romance**_

_Chapter Five_

After two more months, Kagome was wishing she could throw in the towel.

Nothing fit. Only the adjustable jeans she'd bought on a trip home and long stretchy t-shirts kept her from donning that awful, hot, itchy priestess outfit that Kaede wore, of which she had offered to loan Kagome a spare. But she wasn't having it.

And the mood swings! One moment she was so happy with her life she could cry, and did, and in a flash she was murderously angry, usually at Inuyasha. She had to admit he was taking one for the team every time she thundered him with her anger, but to his credit he took it in stride, often calming her instead of aggravating her further. He was certainly learning tolerance in her company.

Sesshoumaru had visited twice since their informative meeting two months earlier. He had sent her a pigeon demon to serve as her messenger, but Kagome had had no call to use him yet. Besides, he spent most of his time hanging out with the other normal pigeons anyway. He often returned to the hut for the night and delighted in keeping them up with pigeon gossip, in which, of course, no one had an interest.

In fact, she was expecting Sesshoumaru again any time now, as she dipped her toes in the stream outside Kaede's. She sighed. She was big enough now that her feet had disappeared. She hoped one day to see them again, but didn't hold onto that thought long. It was too depressing!

She had interesting news from her side of the well, today. The day before she had gone for an ultrasound, her second, and, even though her doctor was mystified by the rapid growth rate of her baby, she assured him nothing was wrong and that she felt fine; she hadn't even suffered any morning sickness, thank God.

Still, he surprised her by rubbing the module around in the freezing jelly on her skin and remarking offhandedly, "Huh. No wonder you're so big already. There are two in there."

Kagome had jumped. "What?"

He pointed at the screen. There were clearly two bodies there.

She smiled. Then she frowned. _Twins! Ugh. She was only expecting one!_

She'd left, not quite sure how to feel. But a candy bar had made her feel better and her family had rejoiced at the news. She'd smiled and nodded, good-naturedly taking Souta's constant belly-rubbing (he liked to pretend she was Buddha and would give him good luck; usually she gave him a smack.)

Of course, that didn't solve her dilemma. What was Sesshoumaru going to do with two heirs?

_Oh well_. She thought. _I'll let him worry about it. I'll just worry about feeding them I wonder if its lunch time yet?_

That was another thing. She was constantly hungry. Luckily, though, she hadn't gained weight anywhere except her expanding waistline. She fervently hoped it returned after the twins were born.

A wasp flew near, inspecting her ear as a possible nesting place, and she waved it away, irritated. She hated wasps. They reminded her of Naraku.

_Naraku..._

They had not had a run-in with him since a while before her short interlude with Sesshoumaru, three months earlier. It was a nice reprieve, and she hoped it lasted. She dreaded facing him in this condition, or his even finding out about it. She could only imagine what sorts of horrible things he would think of to torture her and her friends, using her as the tool.

She had considered spending her pregnancy at home in the future, but knew that was impossible. She not only had work to do here (which they had been slacking off in lately), but Inuyasha and her friends, and Sesshoumaru, were here. Besides, she was avoiding her school friends. They'd eat her alive if they knew what she'd been keeping from them!

Kagome sighed. She'd have to forget about final exams, too, for now anyway. Oh well. At least today promised to be a nice day, as long as lunch was ready soon...

Abruptly she cradled her gut and tried to stand. Two jewel shards were coming her way, pronto.

_Ugh_, she moaned inwardly. _Kouga!_

A shower of dust settled upon her and blew her hair out of whack as Kouga strolled up to her, only to be hindered when trying to pull her close by her protruding mid-section.

"Kagome! Long time no see. I hope Mutt-face has been treating you goo- _Oof!_"

She grunted as he made contact, and the baby on the bottom kicked out, catching her under the rib.

"Ow!"

He stared at her. "What the hell? When did _that_ happen?" He pointed rudely at her stomach.

She gasped, trying to recover from the inner abuse. "Hello to you, too, Kouga."

He grabbed up her hands and pulled her close again, mindful of her belly this time and lowered his voice, his face close. "Don't worry, Kagome. He'll pay for what he's done to you, I promise!"

She lifted a brow. "Who, exactly, will pay?"

He snorted, dropping her hands to cross his arms in his usual stance. "Mutt-face, who else? Only he would do something stupid like this, especially when Naraku has been snooping around using that bitch wind witch of his, Kagura-"

"Kouga, it takes two! Besides... Wait, did you say Kagura's been hanging around? Here?" She forgot to distract him from her children's parentage, fear for their safety taking precedence.

"Well, not _right_ here, but toward the West a ways. Don't think she's been this far yet. Unless you've seen her?"

She shook her head, her arms clutching her belly tightly, lovingly. He frowned.

"So? What did Mutt-face say when you told him?" He gestured to her stomach. "By the way, I'm mad at you for letting this happen, you know."

She blinked, giving him her attention again. He certainly didn't look mad. He looked goofy, grinning like he was, the happy idiot.

She shrugged. "He wasn't exactly overjoyed."

He growled. "Why not? I would have been! I would have showed you, too." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. None of us was very impressed, to tell you the truth."

It was his turn to be nonplussed. "Why?"

She stared at him as if he was a moron. "I'm too young for one thing. For another, I wasn't ready for it. I'm still not. And thirdly, I'm having twins!" She regretted a little that he was the first to know that, since she'd planned to tell everyone at lunch, but she pushed on anyway. "And now you tell me Kagura's sniffing around nearby! This whole deal just keeps getting better and better! What's a girl got to do besides run away altogether to get through a pregnancy in peace around here?" She was shouting now, and he was wincing.

Kouga, at a loss for words, turned out his hands.

She snorted, "Well, you're a big help."

He shrugged. "Usually, I am." He looked her over again, and sighed. "So you picked him over me. I still can't believe it. And after I claimed you first, too... Such a pity."

She guffawed. "It's not like you were here all the time pursuing me!"

He shrugged again. "I've got a tribe to run, Kagome. You could have stayed with _me_." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She crossed her arms, resting them on her gut. "Inuyasha would never have allowed that. Besides, I have obligations to him, not you!"

He sighed. "My good deeds are always going unnoticed..."

She barked a laugh. "Good deeds? You kidnapped me!"

He grinned. "I'm not going to apologise for it, either."

She glowered at him. "That is redundant."

He just smiled.

She glared. Turning away from him, she remarked, "I should tell Inuyasha. He'll want to find out what Kagura's been up to." Kouga followed her into Kaede's hut.

"Kaede, is lunch ready yet?"

The old miko laughed. Kagome's appetite of late was sort of becoming a running joke.

"Almost, Kagome. Oh, I didn't know ye had a guest." She eyed Kouga up and down. It was not often he came this far east, but Kaede had heard stories, and it was easy to guess who this demon was. He seemed to live up to his reputation; he dogged Kagome to her place by the fire as they waited for the others to congregate for the mid-day meal.

Kagome sighed. "Yes. Just one." She turned to give Kouga a glare, of sorts. "Your pack _will_ find food elsewhere, yes? We can't feed everyone. Besides, I'm _very_ hungry." Her threat hung in the air, begging him to spring the trap, but he waved a hand dismissively.

"That's fine."

Kagome raised a brow anyway, and gathered up her eating utensils, ready to be the first served. That, too, had become a habit of hers.

Sango and Kirara walked in, greeted Kouga, and sat down, followed closely by Miroku, who leaned his staff by the door before taking his place, and finally, Inuyasha wandered in carting Shippo, who went straight to Kagome, who, before he could pounce on her, held a lollipop up in his face, diverting his attention and avoiding a kick to her gut, this time from the outside. Those on the inside were abusive enough!

"Humph. What are you doing here, wolf?" Inuyasha squeezed in on Kagome's other side, and glared over her at his nemesis in love.

Kouga replied, "Hello to you, too, Mutt-face. After lunch I'm gonna kick your ass."

Inuyasha sat up, offended. "Excuse me?"

Kouga grinned. "You heard me. I did not agree to let _this_-" he pointed at Kagome's belly, "-happen. We're going to have more than words over your high-handed treatment of my woman."

Inuyasha guffawed. "_Your_ woman? Kagome, when did that happen?"

Kagome, eagerly taking her portion of the delicious stew Kaede was dishing up, replied absently, "When did what happen? Mmm, this is _so_ good!"

Inuyasha sighed. Food was becoming too much of an obsession for her. They were going to have to have one of those things for her, what were they called? Intersections? _No, that wasn't it..._

"This stupid wolf thinks you're his woman. Did you tell him whose baby you're carrying? Intervention!"

Kagome was already holding out her bowl for seconds, but paid more attention now that her hunger was somewhat sated. "Kouga! I never said that, Inuyasha. And no, I didn't." She took a bite. "Oh, and it turns out I'm having twins." She frowned. "Intervention for what?"

Everyone looked up sharply, but Kaede, having suspecting the development for a while now, smiled benignly. "Good for ye, Kagome!"

Inuyasha smiled at her. "Really? Huh." He hoped she'd forget amid all the praise what he'd accidentally suggested out loud.

Sango and Miroku reached out to rub her belly (she regretted ever having told them about Souta's annoying little habit! Now it was _everyone's_ annoying little habit) and congratulate her, while Kouga's mouth hung open.

She smiled at Inuyasha around her mouthful of stew and gently pushed Kouga's jaw closed with her fingers. "You'll catch a fly in there if you're not careful." Then she swallowed.

"Thanks, you guys. I was so not expecting the doctor to tell me that. I just thought my baby had a million limbs, but twins explain everything rather nicely." She grinned.

Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek, something Kouga had not expected him to do. Inuyasha was not a mutt prone to public displays of affection. Quite the opposite, in fact.

It burned him to see Inuyasha holding her, touching her in a way that was more familiar than he himself had ever been allowed to touch her. He frowned.

Miroku laughed over his share of stew, "Just think how happy Sesshoumaru will be, Kagome."

She giggled. "I'll bet."

Kouga's brows came down hard. "Sesshoumaru? What's he got to do with this? Mutt-face, are you getting along with your mutt-brother enough to make him a God-parent or something?"

Inuyasha glared at him, but Kagome laughed. "Of course not, Kouga. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru can barely tolerate each other, you know that." She was beginning to enjoy his ignorance, and, looking at her friends private smiles, could see they were too!

Inuyasha was smiling now, too, that cruel smile he reserved for his brother and Kouga, and, sometimes, Naraku, when he had the upper hand, that is. That, and Kagome had forgotten about the Intervention. _Yes!_

Looking at Kagome, he asked, for Kouga's benefit only, "When is Sesshoumaru coming, by the way?"

She shrugged. "Sometime today, I think."

Kouga watched this by-play, totally mystified. It was like they were speaking Greek, or something!

He held out his hands. "Hold on just a minute. Will someone please explain to me what's going on here?"

They all looked at him innocently.

Kirara meowed.

Kouga glared at them all, finally asking through gritted teeth, "May I speak to you outside, Kagome? Privately?"

She blinked. "I suppose so. Do you mind if I eat while we're talking?"

He shook his head in exasperation. "I don't give a shit, just come on!" He pulled her up, practically dragging her outside.

Standing her up straight next to the stream outside, he tried to stare her down but failed, since she never looked up from her food. He sighed inwardly.

"Please, Kagome, don't play with me like this. I hate it."

She looked up then, the tone of anguish in his voice making her take pity on him. They really had been rude to string him along, she supposed.

She sighed, too. "I'm sorry, Kouga. It's just been a while since anyone around here was out of the loop. My babies don't belong to Inuyasha."

He blinked. _They didn't? Then..._

She continued. "They're Sesshoumaru's."

His vision bled red before him. He'd thought Inuyasha's being the father was bad enough; at least, it wasn't that surprising. He'd expected it, somehow, because those two were just so natural together, like red beans and rice, but... _Sesshoumaru_? That threw more than just a wrench into the inner-workings of his thought processes. It backed up the whole machine and production abruptly stopped, momentarily.

She watched his eyes elongate, flickering between red and blue, his fists clenching. She quickly touched him, letting her holy powers sting him just a bit, as a warning.

He jerked.

"Kouga, stop it. It's not the end of the world. Look, I'm sorry if you thought we had something, but we don't. That doesn't mean I don't like you, of course." She smiled to soften the blow. "You come in quite handy in a tough spot, you know. And you're funny." She giggled now, as his ears twitched. "If it's possible, I would very much like to remain your friend."

He let out his breath at that last. Her eyes were soft, pleading. He melted.

"Of course, Kagome." He gathered her into a hug, and she let him hold her. Hopefully, her message had been received loud and clear, and he would aggravate Inuyasha no further with his claims on her person.

She smiled into his chest. "Thank you, Kouga."

He sighed, and then inhaled the scent of her. She still smelled the same, mostly. There was a tinge of something else there now, something soft, fragile, yet extremely strong. He couldn't put his finger on it.

"Isn't this a cosy conference."

Sesshoumaru's inflectionless voice broke the spell. Kouga swore silently.

Kagome turned in Kouga's arms, a bright smile for the Western Lord on her face. "Sesshoumaru!"

She broke free, and walked as fast as she could toward him, her arms outstretched, and, to Kouga s complete amazement, Sesshoumaru let her touch him.

And she wasn't just touching him, he saw. She was _hugging_ him, and he was _taking_ it!

He even saw the normally stoic Lord bestow a slight smile on Kagome as she turned her face up to see his. They seemed completely at home in each other's arms, and he could see now, why. They embraced as two who have shared themselves with each other do. He frowned a bit.

It appeared to him that Sesshoumaru had not taken Kagome to mate; this was not a surprise, even though he himself would have completely ignored convention and done exactly that, were he in Sesshoumaru's expensive shoes. Instead, she seemed to have decided to stay with Mutt-face, yet she still maintained a close relationship with the father of her children. He was totally baffled by Kagome's magnanimity.

Sesshoumaru's voice broke into his thoughts. "How are you faring so far, my dear? How did your appointment go yesterday?"

_Holy shit_, Kouga thought. _Was Sesshoumaru being... attentive? To a human? This was too weird!_

Kagome had released him from her embrace and was now leading him to the hut by the hand. "I'm doing just fine, and so are they." She rubbed her bulging stomach.

Sesshoumaru jerked her to a stop, and she bounced back like a dog at the end of its tether. "_They_?"

She grinned.

He smiled back, really smiled, and leaned down to _kiss_ her! On the forehead, but still!

Kouga felt his eyes roll back in his head, and Kagome and Sesshoumaru both turned to watch the wolf crumple to the ground in a dead faint.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow, and Kagome snorted, smiling.

_Poor Kouga!_

Shippo waved his hands in front of Kouga's unconscious eyes. The wolf was completely out of it.

Sango sighed. Miroku chuckled. Inuyasha followed the others outside and took in the scene at a glance.

"-And I guess it was all just too much for him," Kagome was explaining, Sesshoumaru standing silently behind.

Inuyasha laughed. "Ha ha! That stupid wolf."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "We should move him out of the road. I'm afraid he won't wake up in time to avoid getting run over."

Inuyasha snorted. "Feh. Leave him."

She frowned at him, but implored Miroku to assist her move the wolf, which he did with a smile.

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow at the lifeless wolf tribe leader, and was tempted to cluck his tongue in disappointment. Oh well. At least Raidon hadn t shown up... yet.

After Kouga was safely on the roadside, Kagome asked him, "Would you like some lunch?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, thank you."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself. More for me!"

Inuyasha smiled at her enthusiasm. Not too long ago Kagome had been the one to always eat last, or give up her share for someone who had none, or whatever the case happened to be. Now, it was get out of the way, or get your leg gnawed off by a hunger-crazed pregnant girl.

When she returned carrying another bowlful of stew, Sesshoumaru asked her, "Is there anything else you require, my dear?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Everything's perfect. Thanks anyway, though." She grinned at him.

He nodded his head, regally, and bowed slightly. "Then I bid you farewell. Oh, and Inuyasha." He stopped, and turned to his younger brother.

Inuyasha quit picking meat out of his teeth. "Yeah?"

"I picked up Kagura's scent when I landed near here. Keep a sharp eye out, hm?"

Inuyasha's ear twitched at the thinly veiled command. "Sure thing, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru nodded once, curtly; the brothers had seemed to reach a silent agreement since the beginning of Kagome's pregnancy, which required them to at least be civil in the other's presence, if not directly to the other individual. For now.

The demon Lord took his leave then, and when he was out of sight the pigeon messenger he'd sent her, Minoru, suddenly popped up on Kagome's shoulder.

"Wind witch."

Inuyasha frowned, and Kagome did the same, still chewing her food. Inuyasha strode over to them and asked the bird, "What?"

"Wind witch. Wind witch." Sometimes Kagome thought the pigeon thought he was a parrot. Unfortunately, he was quite an ugly pigeon. No way would he ever be mistaken for a parrot. Not even an ugly one.

Inuyasha growled. Miroku interjected, "What about her?"

The pigeon wobbled to Kagome's other shoulder, and turned around a few times, pointing its eyes everywhere and trilling softly. She was sure the damn thing was going to poop on her, and when it did...

"Shrine."

Inuyasha's ears flicked up, and everyone reached for their weapons, but before Kagome could protest, Inuyasha shoved her bodily into the hut and demanded, "Kaede! Keep her here!"

Minoru squawked and flew off.

The old woman nodded, curious, but he didn't stay to explain. Drawing _Tetsusaiga_, he dashed up the stairs, the others hot on his tail.

* * *

OOOOOOOhhhh, cliffy! Sorry to do that on an update that's sooooo overdue, but it's late and I hafta work tomorrow, sooo... oops! You know the drill... send me reviews, and maybe I won't wait another year to post chapter six! hehe, or, send me Jason Momoa in the mail... I'd climb that like a tree... :))))))))))))))))))))))


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